Altar boys to hand out Pope’s favorite cookie in preparation for September visit

, Jul 21, 2006 / 12:00 am (CNA).- A group of altar boys from the Bavarian city of Ratisbona have come up with a curious plan to promote Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Germany, scheduled to take place in just under 50 days. They have announced they will be handing out the Pontiff’s favorite cookie to passers-by to encourage participation in the papal events.

According to the Kath.net news agency, some 20 altar boys from Mindelstetten in Ratisbona will hand out the cookies this Saturday. One of the organizers of the project, Georg Fesslmeier, said, “With this undertaking, the altar boys of Mindelstetten want to do something specific so that this Pontifical visit will be remembered as the event of the century in our city.”

During the Pope’s visit to Ratisbona on September 12, 15,000 altar boys from all of the dioceses in Bavaria will take part in the Papal Mass.

The leader of the diocesan altar boy program, Johann Graf, said, “To be close to the Pope and experience this event with him will undoubtedly be a special experience in the lives of this large group of altar boys. With their presence, their prayers, and their song the boys will participate in the Mass in a very intense and active way.”

Graf said it was very satisfying to see the altar boys preparing so enthusiastically for the papal visit. He also revealed that an unprecedented 35,000 altar boys from Germany would participate in the international altar servers pilgrimage to Rome on August 1st and 2nd.